In the Light of Tomorrow
by TeflonSG
Summary: Having witnessed his world's destruction, Naruto stands, alone, in the midst of falling ash. With this world coming to an end, he turns back the clock, back to his beginning; defying god, bending time: nobody said it was going to be easy, and nobody ever said it was going to be free. It never is, is it? Time travel. AU.
1. Prologue: Shattered Skies

In the Light of Tomorrow  
Prologue: Shattered Skies

Loneliness. That was the first thing he felt as he stood in the crater as blacks pecks drifted from the sky. He brushed over the intricate designs of black ink scribbled on the ground. The ink was still hot, burning from the chakra passing through it; the seal, emanating with raw power - a testament to those trapped within. He closed his eyes.

"_This world. Is. Mine!" The Juubei unleashed all of the energy it had been gathering, sending wave upon wave of pure energy as a sphere of white expanded across the battlefield. He could see his allies, engulfed by the Juubei's attack, burning, disintegrating, dying as the white light swallowed their shadowy silhouettes. He couldn't move. He couldn't move at all. He could only stand there and watch as the light quickly approached him, threatening to take him too._

_He thought he was going to die. But he didn't._

_A hand grabbed the back of his coat, and pulled him into the light, but he was not blinded by white. Instead, he met face to face with only darkness._

Naruto shook his head. No, he should have died. He should have died alongside his friends, not live. Why him? Why was it always him? Why did everyone have to die, while he lived on?

_In an instant, the world of darkness faded, and Naruto landed on his feet, the soles burning from the newly scorched earth; even the rocks were red from the intense heat. He looked behind him and realized how he had managed to escape. There stood his father, staring at Madara, triple-pronged kunai in his hand._

_His father had pulled them both into the dimensional void - separate from the world. When they emerged, the attack had ended, and the now desolate battlefield engulfed in hellfire was all that was left of the Land of Fire. _

_Naruto turned his eyes towards Madara, and the two locked glances. And for a moment, Naruto saw something that he had never expected. Fatigue. He supposed even gods grew tired._

Naruto sat down on the ground and concentrated, tapping into his sage powers and feeling the nature around him, or at least, what was left of it. Madara's attack had all but shattered the world, and Naruto could feel the planet slowly dying. What used to engulf his entire being in the sage chakra now only grazed his skin in small wisps of green.

Realizing he had no other choice, Naruto opened the scroll his father had passed him. The Yondaime couldn't even explain himself before his seal activated, trapping both himself, Madara, and the Juubei in the heart of the earth.

"**You'd better hurry up. That seal won't last forever." **Kurama's deep voice rumbled through Naruto's mind. The fox had used much of its chakra during the war, and even a demon with nigh limitless power paled in comparison to their foe. Not even a demon could defeat a god.

"You're awake?"

"**I am now. You haven't used my power for an hour now, and I've recovered enough to speak once more."**

"...Then you know what happened?" Naruto looked at the surrounding desolation, and in turn, Kyuubi saw it as well.

"**I do."**

For the first time in a long while, a tear rolled down Naruto's cheek, wetting the blackened ground.

"Then tell me, what do I do? There's nobody left. There's nothing left. It's just us now." Naruto looked at the scroll, and recognized it as a map - a map of Uzushiogakure. More specifically, its underground catacombs. "And all I have is a map of a dead city. Dad didn't even tell me what to do with this."

"**Then perhaps you should heed his wisdom, and go."**

"What's the point? Not even together, could we beat Madara… And now, with everyone gone, how do we beat him by ourselves? I think it's over for us, Kurama. For us, and for the world."

"**A coward, and a fool."**

"What?"

"**Right now, you are nothing but a coward and a fool. Where did all your 'hope' and 'promise' go? What happened to your 'ninja way?' Whatever happened to the Uzumaki Naruto that I respected?"**

"He died! Or at least he should have alongside every one of his friends! Madara killed them all, and he'll kill us too. It's only a matter of time before the seal breaks, and this world is finished once and for all. Just face it, Kurama; we're doomed to die."

"**Your father didn't seem to think so. Why else would he pass on a scroll before sealing himself and his enemy to buy you time? Stop whining over your dead friends, and maybe you'll find some way to avenge them, because right now, you're nothing more than a stupid little coward waiting in line to be slaughtered."** Kurama broke the connection as Naruto stared at the paper, stunned at what the fox had just said. In his heart, he knew the fox was right. The moment the world gave up hope, Madara would win, but his father hadn't given up. No, the scroll that he grasped in his hands was his father's hope, and with it, the hope of the world.

His friends were dead. His family was dead. His world was dead, but until he was dead, there was still a war to be fought.

"...Kurama. How long until the seal breaks?" Naruto stood up, wiping off ash and soot from his robes and wiping tears from his eyes..

"**I'd say you have three days."**

"Hm." He turned, his back facing the direction of the setting sun. "Uzushiogakure. I'll get us there in two."

OoOoO

"_Kamina-sensei, what are you doing?"_

"_There's no point in fighting anymore. The war is over, and we've lost. They'll hunt us down until the Uzumaki's are no more."_

"_That's not true! We can all run away! We can hide!"_

"_Then go, child. The rest of us have already agreed to seal ourselves away so that the day the Uzumaki need our power, we will be there to answer."_

Down underneath the ruins of Uzushiogakure, a winding stairway, cracked and broken, led to the catacombs of the city. Within this maze lay the secret Minato wanted him to find. Using a basic fire jutsu, Naruto lit a torch and descended into the heart of this labyrinth - a temple.

The room was large and from what Naruto could see, a single stone slab rose above all else: an altar. Blank columns ascended to the ceiling, keeping the earth from collapsing on the structures below. There was nothing in this temple. Only a single altar in which a small seal was inscribed along with faded text underneath.

"Change the fate's...design. Save what has been lost… Bring back what once...was mine." Naruto brushed his hands over the faded text, the ink having been worn away over decades. He felt a strange tingle in the back of his head as he read those words. Perhaps there was a way to 'save what has been lost.'

Naruto looked at the array, noting the various important parts of the seal - he had studied enough to identify them.

"It looks like an activation seal. One that requires chakra to activate." Naruto placed his palm against the seal, and pushed chakra through to the ink. The seal burned hot, and glowed as Naruto jerked his hand away in pain, the seal burning his skin.

"**Blood."** Right. Almost all of the clans kept their secrets by tying their seals with their blood. Only those with the correct heritage could uncover these mysteries, these truths.

Naruto took a kunai from his pocket and slashed his hand, ignoring the pain. He had felt pain much greater than any scratch to the flesh. However, his hand was still tender from the burn, and while Kurama's healing greatly accelerated the wound, the burn still left his hand and nerves raw and sensitive. The cut only made it worse. Nevertheless, blood trickled down his hands and Naruto placed his hand once more onto the altar, pushing chakra through the ink.

This time, the seal let out a cool and soothing sensation as his blood was absorbed by the ink. The seal glowed a bright blue, outshining the torch. The pattern of blue began to expand, around the surface of the altar, and then down its sides. Kanji and symbols began to appear as the blue chakra infused with the ground, unmasking the entire seal from the formerly blank granite, and basking the room in a warm glow of blue.

"Whoa." The entire room was the sealing array. The columns, to the ceiling, to the walls, to the floor. Not a single bit of the room was not covered in ink.

Naruto could feel wave upon wave of chakra emanating from the array, the constant release of energy becoming a soft hum in the back of his head. He felt at ease, sitting in the room saturated with chakra. He lay down on the altar and closed his eyes, letting the chakra cascade over him like a gentle wave in a pool. The back and forth ebb and flow gently rocked the blonde to sleep.

He heard a gentle voice in the back of his head.

"_Give to us what you cherish most, and in turn, we shall turn back the clock. Back to whence you began."_

He could feel his chakra drain out of him, slowly exiting his body and joining with the mix of chakra in the room. The seal drained every last bit of chakra Naruto had in his body, as the blonde lay motionless - lifeless.

"_Now sleep restless warrior. Sleep. May you see the light of tomorrow."_

OoOoO

How's it going everyone? TeflonSG here with a new Naruto FF for you all. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. I love time travel AUs and I decided to try one out for myself. Let me know what you think.

Also, kudos to those of you who caught a little reference to something. It's okay if you didn't. Don't get too tangled up trying to look for it.


	2. Chapter 1: One Step Back

In the Light of Tomorrow  
Chapter 1: One Step Back

Naruto woke up to the silence of darkness. His heart began racing as his eyes searched back and forth, looking for something to lock onto, but he could see nothing but pitch black. Sitting up, moved to rub his eyes, but ended up jamming the palm of his hand on his nose.

"Ouch, what the hell." Naruto paused, eyes still closed. That wasn't his voice. That was the voice of some prepubescent child, not the voice of a battle-hardened veteran. His voice was deeper. Much deeper.

'_Kurama, what the hell is going on?'_ He waited, but there was no response to be heard. _'Kurama, hello? Are you awake, you big furball?'_

Still nothing.

That was strange. Kurama was always with him through everything, frequently spewing nothing more than sarcastic banter, but occasionally contributing a wise course of action. To think that the fox was his only 'true' friend: the friend that would stand beside him through any hardship - although it's not like the fox had a choice. Regardless, Kurama's lack of response was disheartening.

He ransacked his brain, trying to remember what had happened, why he had fallen asleep. All he could remember was blue. It was in a sense, comforting. He had activated the seal. Right. The ancient seal his father had shown him through a decrepit map of a dead city.

''_Give to us what you cherish most...' _

He recoiled at the slight shock of what those words entailed. This was supposed to be his father's trump card. In return for the ability to defeat Madara, he had to give up something in return. Was the Kyuubi gone?

Naruto stifled a snicker. First a small chuckle, and it soon grew into boisterous laughter. The Kyuubi? THAT was what he cherished most? Really? After everything he had been through, the nine-tailed demon fox was the one thing he had cherished most. The demon fox that pretty much ruined his entire life the day he was born.

"**You know, I'm not too sure if I should be happy, or offended."** There he was.

'_Hah. I knew you weren't gone. There was no way you were the thing I cherished most.'_

"**Hm. It seems like the answer is offended."**

'_Hey, I'm just messing with you. Think about it like this. Something good must've come out of that seal, and you get to stay with me. We'll hopefully kick Madara's ass, and we'll have forever to be best buds, right?'_

"**Huh. I knew something was different."**

'_What are you talking about?'_

"**You're not the same as you were yesterday. It's about time you woke up you little shit."**

'_Say that again? I'm not following.'_

"**Still stupid as ever. Open your eyes."** Heeding his words, Naruto managed to crack open his eyes, although with some difficulty. He had no clue why, but it seemed as if his body simply didn't want to listen to his brain. The instant he opened his eyes, he was lifted from the pitch black darkness - into a lesser darkness. He blinked.

He expected to see the temple under Uzushiogakure with its tall granite pillars stretching up towards the high ceilings. He expected to be sitting on top of the cold altar, and he expected to find a weapon of sorts in his hands. Maybe a magical sword or spear or something to kill Madara with.

Instead, he found himself in the comfort of a bed. _His_ bed. Even under the cover of the night, he could make out his room. The clothes, the closet, the drawer, the nightstand. Everything was there, Not a single thing misplaced. He brushed his small fingers on his blanket, feeling the comfort of his sheets. He hadn't slept in a proper bed in months.

He froze and rewound. He brushed his hands over and over his blanket, then raising his hand up and wiggling his fingers, noticing how incredibly _small_ they were.

'_Kurama, what's going on?'_

"**What do you think is going on? It's pretty obvious."**

'_I think I'm a kid.'_

"**Good observation."**

'_No, as in I'm a KID. I don't get it, what's going on?'_

"**Not surprised. Look in a mirror."** Naruto reached over to turn on his light, only to undershoot and grab nothing but air. He tried again, only to miss once more. However the third time, he managed to tangle his fingers in the chain of the light, and pulled, letting the bulb illuminate his room.

'_Looks just like it. I kind of miss sleeping in a bed.'_ He ripped off the covers and swung his legs to the side, and leaped off the ground, stumbling, trying to keep his balance. _'What in the world?'_

He grabbed onto his nightstand to steady himself, and then made his way towards the mirror mounted on his wall. He didn't even need to get in front of it to see the vastly different person he had become. Well, he didn't really become anybody different. He was still him. Just, not him like before. Right.

His eyes widened in shock, and in turn, the little boy in the mirror did the same. He rose his left hand, and the little boy rose his in turn. Naruto felt his face, his hair, his uncoordinated hands flopping all over the place, and each and every time, the boy in the mirror did the same.

'_No freaking way. I'm a kid again. What am I, 5?'_ He could only stare at his reflection.

"**10." **

'_Nah, there's no way I'm a 10. I look good, but I don't look THAT good.' _Naruto chuckled at his own joke, and at the mental slap he could hear the fox making in his head. It was good to mess around with the fox. _'Anyways, how the hell did I turn 10. Damn.'_

"**I was surprised too. Only for a second. It took a while for you to wake up, though."**

'_What do you mean, wake up?'_

"**Let's just say you were the stupid little shit you always were when you went to bed today. Seems like your consciousness decided to appear now."**

'_And when did you wake up?'_ Naruto asked quizzically. Had he truly woken up in the past?

"**Eh. About 10 years ago."**

'_What in the world?!'_

"**I was mowing through your army when I 'woke up.' The sharingan may have commanded me once, but it shall not again.'**

'_So then you resisted? What happened?'_

"**Obviously. Why don't you go to the window and take a look for yourself."** Naruto turned around and moved towards his window, once again stumbling and tripping on his own feet as he made his way towards the closed curtains. He managed to grab the edges of the curtain and swung them open. His mouth dropped in awe at what he saw. **"With you gone, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Just a little."**

The city of Konoha never looked so large. Konoha's lights glowed brighter than the moon hanging above. The Hokage's Tower stood at the very heart of the city, grazing the clouds as colossal buildings surrounded it - buildings Naruto had never seen before his entire life. Rows upon rows of different houses and buildings stretched for so long that Naruto couldn't even see the end.

'_Incredible.'_

"**Yes I am."**

'_Then if you didn't destroy Konoha. Mom? Dad?'_

"**As much as I would have loved to say otherwise, I'm still in you, am I not?"** Naruto's heart dropped. He had hoped that maybe Kurama had spared his parents. **"Someone had to seal me back."**

'_Right.'_ And instantly, all of the wonder and amazement seemed and felt like nothing. His parents were still as dead as they were before. Naruto stared out at the village - no, city. It was something that was extraordinary. He would have to learn the ins and outs again.

_Now sleep restless warrior. Sleep. May you see the light of tomorrow._

'_Did I go back in time, Kurama?'_

"**We did."**

'_Hm. I guess Dad was trying to give me a second chance. Madara couldn't have been killed back then. Or is it in the future? Agh, I don't know. If I'm only 10, then we've got what...another 8 years to figure out a way to kick Madara's ass, right?' _Naruto turned around and looked at the clock on his nightstand. 2:00 AM. He crawled back into bed. _'What a shocker. Guess I'll go to sleep for now. Tomorrow isn't even here yet.'_

OoOoO

The next time he woke up, it was already morning. He bounced out of bed and pulled on his clothes, cringing at the orange jumpsuit that he seemed to always have loved. Now it didn't seem so fashionable, or useful. But it was all he had to wear, so he dealt with it.

Trying to go through everyday tasks was painful. Moving around, opening doors, opening cabinets, pouring milk. His coordination was so terrible that he seemed to fail at every single task he tried. None of his limbs would follow his brain, and after a good amount of time struggling through, he collapsed on the floor, tired and pissed.

He reasoned it had to do with his 'older' brain. His brain was used to moving around in the body of an 18 year old that when the Uzumaki decided to throw him back in time and chop off a good few inches off of each limb, his adult brain just wasn't used to his child body. Hopefully, he'll adapt in time.

For the rest of the morning, he played with a ball, throwing it and catching it, trying to improve his hand-eye coordination. He walked around, jumped up and down, balanced on one leg, and by the time he he could walk around comfortably without looking like a complete buffoon, he was already late for class.

'_Shit! Kurama, why didn't you tell me?'_

"**You're a lazy ass. I'm not here to tell you everything."** Despite that, the Kyuubi was howling with laughter as Naruto sprinted out of his apartment, a slice of bread in hand and backpack slung around his arm. Naruto sprinted in front of the Academy, completely out of breath. That was, until he looked up at the sign and realized it wasn't the academy.

"Konoha Citizen's Senior Center. What! When the hell did this get here?" Naruto let out an exasperated sigh. He had forgotten that Konoha was a completely different place. The academy was probably somewhere different.

"Excuse me, but you're not old enough to be here." Someone called out, and he turned to see an elderly woman standing outside the building. The woman might've looked old, but she marched straight up to Naruto without so much as a wobble in her knees. Suddenly, Naruto remembered what life was like 10 years ago. He was scared.

"Look. Sorry, ma'am. I'm really sorry." The woman grabbed his arm and lifted him up, cradling him in her arms. Naruto smiled sheepishly at the awkward situation. He was a grown adult, being carried like a baby by a woman three times his age. Five times, referring to his current age. Still, he was more surprised that she didn't hit him with a broom, or shoo him away with a shoe. That's what people usually did. "Uhm. Wait, you know who I am, right?"

The woman looked at Naruto quizzically before laughing.

"Oh, of course I do. You're a little boy who's run away from the Academy. I can tell by your backpack. Children like you run away all the time. Well, with so many of you, I'd reckon it's difficult to keep a tab on every single student. I'll carry you there myself." She walked down the street with Naruto in her arms, taking long strides as if she had nothing to weigh her down, not even the weight of a child.

If anything, this came as more of a shock than anything else. Not the time travel, not the huge Konoha, nothing. None of that could compare to the shock at being treated with kindness. With _anonymity._ In Konoha, _this_ Konoha, he was just another somebody. Just another child. Nobody knew about his tenant, and if they did, they didn't seem to care.

It was only a few minutes before the two arrived in front of a large building. This academy seemed to be twice as large as the last one - the one in his time. On the way, he made sure to memorize the directions so to not get lost again.

The woman put him down and handed him over to the officials.

"Ah, I apologize for bothering you, but I found this boy wandering the streets. He belongs here, right?" The secretary at the front desk looked up at the elderly woman, and then back down towards Naruto. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, he is. Sorry for the inconvenience. Naruto Uzumaki does this more often than you'd expect. Thank you for bringing him here safely." She waved goodbye as the elderly lady walked out. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself, young man?"

"Uh. Sorry?" Naruto couldn't really think of an answer. This whole process was strange. There were no secretaries at the front desk. The academy wasn't this big. People weren't this nice to him. He had no clue how to react.

"Sorry is correct. Now go to class. Iruka-sensei's probably stressing over you. Again." She waved her hand down a hall and proceeded to return to the papers in front of her. Following her motion, Naruto walked down that hall and looked for his classroom. There were a lot more rooms than he had expected, each of them filled with students and a teacher.

Luckily, he made it to Iruka's classroom without much trouble. He heard the man yelling before he even got close to the door. Naruto walked into an entertaining sight.

"Kiba! Stop sleeping, and tell me which one of the elemental countries this is!" An eraser went flying across the room, hitting Kiba perfectly in the arm in which he propped his dozing head. His arm slipped and his head fell, landing on the desk with a thud.

"Wha? Sorry, Iruka-sensei. That was uh. I don't know. Kumo? Something like that?" Kiba looked smug and proud, sure of himself that he had answered the question correctly. Or at least, as smug and proud a little boy could look. Naruto almost laughed at his face. Kiba looked so young with a tiny puppy Akamaru resting on the desk. It was nothing like that grown man and his companion who were consumed by the light of Madara's attack.

He hoped this time, it wouldn't happen again.

"Wrong! Kiba, Kumo is a village! NOT a country! Sit back down, and pay attention!" Some of the other students laughed as Kiba's mouth dropped at his incorrect answer. Naruto looked up at the board and rolled his eyes.

"That's Mizu no Kuni isn't it? The Land of Water?" Naruto remembered his missions and all the people he had met from there. From Zabuza to Mei Terumi. Kiri was home to some of the most vicious people he had ever met.

"Well, well,well. Naruto Uzumaki. You got one correct. Huh." Iruka seemed surprised as he turned his head towards Naruto, motioning for him to come in and take a seat. "I'm impressed. But you're _late_ again! If you keep this up, I'm going to have to enact some..._disciplinary action._"

Naruto cringed at those words and sat in his desk all the way in the back of the room. Or at least, he assumed it was his as every other seat was filled with students. His eyes wandered, looking for those he knew and those he didn't. And there were a lot of people he didn't know.

The first person he managed to find was Sasuke, in his brooding mood. The classic glare boring holes through Iruka's head. It was nice to know that there were _some_ things in this world that was the same. Then again, in Sasuke's case, Naruto hoped that things might've been a little different. Regardless, he had a few years to fix his past mistakes. Sasuke wasn't a lost cause. Not yet.

The next person he saw was the one who undoubtedly stood out the most. Pink hair was quite rare in Konoha. Quite rare in the entire world, really. Sakura kept staring at Sasuke as if he was a piece of chocolate ready to be consumed. Not in that way. They were still 10 for pete's sake. Now that he looked at her, he realized how incredibly insane he had been to like her in the past. Everything that came out of her mouth made him grumble and want to die. Where was the mature and sophisticated kunoichi that she had become?

He hoped that change would come soon.

Everyone else was essentially the same. Kiba was as lazy as ever, snoozing with Akamaru as his pillow. However, he couldn't compare to Shikamaru who sat in the front of the class, looking as if he were paying great attention. It wasn't until Naruto had stared at the boy for a while that he realized Shikamaru was undoubtedly sleeping. It was an impressive feat.

Ino kept looking at Sakura and Sasuke, grumbling to Chouji as the Akimichi scarfed down a bag of chips, the pile at his feet growing larger and larger. Shino was in the corner, observant and unnoticed. Now there was one person he was missing… Who was it?

"Uh, Naruto-san. You're so smart. You got that question right." That quiet and timid voice. Naruto snapped his head and looked at the person he sat next to. Hinata looked at him with worrying eyes. "But uhm. You should uhm. Come to school. On time."

With each word, Hinata's voice grew softer and softer before she merely sat there, twiddling her thumbs.

"Ah. I'm fine. Thanks Hinata-chan." Naruto gave his trademark grin as Hinata turned back towards Iruka, a blush creeping across her face. So she was just as shy as she had always been.

It seemed as though none of the Rookie 11 plus Sasuke had changed much at all. They were the same people he had gone to class with back in _his_ time. Only this time, there were bunches of more people, and none of them seemed to hate him. Or at least he hoped. He wondered who these new people were.

His focus snapped back onto Iruka as the man used his Big-Head technique on a snoozing Kiba as the entire class broke out into fits of laughter. This was the perfect class that he had always dreamed of having when he was a kid. And now he _did _have it.

It's a shame he wouldn't have any time to enjoy it.

OoOoO

"Come on, Sasuke. I'm going to wipe the floor with you this time." Naruto held up his hands, getting into his traditional taijutsu stance.

"Naruto. A _proper_ stance. Please." Iruka pointed at Sasuke in the standard Academy stance and motioned for Naruto to do the same. The blonde grumbled and got himself into the same stance, only this one was uncomfortable and strange. He didn't exactly learn much when it came to the Academy. His taijutsu was taught by the Ero-sennin himself! Regardless, Naruto nodded when he was ready, and Iruka began the fight.

In an instant, Sasuke dashed forward, sending a hook towards Naruto from the side. It was so slow Naruto had to try to keep from laughing as he saw Sasuke jog up to the blonde, swinging his arm. While the raven-haired brood-lord had decent technique - his swing wasn't wide and his stance firm, he was no fighter compared to the veteran who defeated Pein. No, this was childs play. Literally.

Naruto brought his hand up to block, smirking as he saw his arm move into the path of the swing. Then he felt a fist connect with his cheek and send him flying to the side. Naruto picked himself off the ground, rubbing his cheek, knowing that it was going to bruise. As he stood, he saw Sasuke running towards him, turning his legs for a kick.

Instead of blocking, Naruto threw himself to the side and barely managed to dodge the kick aimed for his side. With Sasuke in a bad position, Naruto leaped forward, his legs pushing and propelling him forward as he sent a punch straight at Sasuke's side. Only for him to miss and land flat on his face.

'_What the hell? Why do I suck so much. This should be easy.'_ He could hear the fox's laughter in the back of his mind. _'Hey, can it furball. I'm trying to not get my ass kicked by a kid half my age.'_

"**It's just too funny. Your brain keeps thinking you're old, and it keeps on screwing you over. This is great. Hey look out! Ha!" **Naruto received another punch, this time on the other cheek. However, he did manage to stabilize and keep himself from falling over.

'_I'm not going to win like this. Gotta focus. This is a real fight. Sasuke. Uchiha. Madara. Let's do this.'_ Sasuke ran up for another swing towards the face. Naruto quickly ducked as Sasuke's hook brushed over the tips of his blonde hair. Naruto dashed forward straight into Sasuke and delivered a solid blow to the boy's side.

If only Naruto were a bit stronger. His punch did nothing more than bounce off of Sasuke's side, eliciting a mild grunt from the raven-haired boy. However, this did not stop Sasuke from following through with his motion, running straight into Naruto and causing both of them to tumble to the ground. Despite the clean hit, Sasuke was unfazed.

While Naruto was sprawled on the ground, the Uchiha quickly leaped over the blonde and threw his fist down straight at Naruto's face. Only to deflect his blow slightly to the side and have his fist smash into the dirt beside his face.

"Deadlast like always."

Sasuke got up as Iruka announced him the winner and strolled back with the class. Naruto stayed there, sprawled on the ground with a sour look on his face. He lost. Again. To Sasuke. When would he ever win? The blonde stood up as Iruka helped him up and looked at Sasuke again. The raven-haired boy rubbed the side he had been hit.

At least the deadlast could injure the giant.

OoOoO

"98...99...100. Ah, done." Naruto got up off of the floor, rubbing his palms together as he finished the last of his workout. After his crushing defeat from Sasuke, he realized he needed to physical train himself once more. His punches needed to hit harder, and his legs needed to move faster. There was no way he was taking on anybody with the body of a ten-year old.

"**...I'm surprised you said nothing."** Naruto knew what the fox was referring to. After school, Naruto had went to visit the Sandaime. It had been years since the man died, and Naruto was all too happy to see that grandfather figure he had always admired once more. The old man's face looked young, or at least, as young as any 60 approaching 70 year old man could look. Perhaps it was because he didn't seem as tired, or as ragged as he had been when he was the Hokage of the past Konoha.

The man hadn't changed at all. He was just as much as a grandfather as he used to be, taking care of Naruto and making sure that the blonde was well off in his apartment. There were no assaults - Naruto wasn't even known to the public, and even then, nobody harbored any true resentment against the fox. Sure, people lived in fear, but everyone believed the Yondaime had defeated the beast for good.

None of their loved ones ever died, and no one was the wiser. Without the destruction and mayhem caused by the Kyuubi's attack, Konoha was allowed to continue to grow and flourish, becoming the largest political superpower in the shinobi world. Konoha had the most resources, the most ninjas, and the largest villages. To think all of that changed when Kurama regained his senses.

"I didn't need to. Nobody needs to know who I am. For once in my life, I'm not the center of everything. I'd like to keep it that way. Gramps doesn't need to know." Naruto took a swig of water. "Right now, I need to get back in shape before we can even think about beating Madara. And that too - we can't mess around too much with time. Who knows? Someone stronger than Madara might've appeared because of it."

"**Hm? Is that fear I sense?"** The Kyuubi cackled within the confines of his cell. Naruto's head echoed with the fox's voice and laughter.

"...Yeah. It is. To be honest, I'm terrified. Dad lead me back here so I could beat Madara. The United Shinobi Alliance couldn't do it then, and they won't be able to do it now. It's all up to me. Don't you see, Kurama? The fate of the world rests on my shoulders…"

"**Yes. I suppose it does. It rests on the shoulders of a tiny midget who can't even beat up a duck."** More laughter. Naruto grumbled. Feelings and emotions were not topics the Kyuubi even remotely cared about. Stupid him for trying to be open with the fox. Perhaps that was why the fox wasn't what he 'cherished most.'

"Speaking of cherished. I should probably find out what I lost, if I even lost anything. I'm sure not knowing the full extent of my skills would only prove to screw me over when I'm fighting." Even the fox seemed to agree. Naruto sat down in the middle of his apartment and meditated, feeling the energies around him.

He felt the familiar sensation of chakra in the pits of his being as he drew out the arcane power, molding it, shifting it. Stretching out his hand, he pulled his chakra into his palm, letting it focus and meld before giving it direction. Spinning it. He could see the wisps of blue concentrate into a small swirling ball.

The rasengan was small, and he could tell it was weak. It had no control or power. Only shape, and that was because he knew the technique at heart. Using his other hand, he continued to mold the chakra until the ball swirled like a whirlpool - not as fast as he could before, but as good as he was able to make it; the tiny rasengan was no larger than a golf ball.

'_Eh. It'll do.'_ He went to the next step, tapping into his nature. He could imagine and feel the wind pulsating around him, moving towards him. Using his ability to manipulate nature, to manipulate the wind, he drew in chakra from deep within and added it to the rasengan he had in his hands. Or at least, he tried.

The moment he tried pulling his elemental nature, he lost all control of his chakra, and the rasengan dissipated; the thin layer of chakra keeping the technique together breaking and letting all of his chakra swirl into the air and evaporate as if it were nothing. Naruto looked at his now empty palm in surprise. That never happened before.

He tried again, and with the same results. When those failed, he tried other techniques. However, to no avail. Nothing worked. He could manipulate chakra fine, move it around and use it in its most purest form. However, the moment he tried to add an element to his techniques, they would break apart and fail.

"Kurama. What would you say was my most prized thing? What defined me? Was it my courage? My stupidity? My foolishness? My skill? Kurama, what did I lose?"

"**...Your will. And I do not believe you've lost it."**

"My will. It was my dream to be Hokage. But what kind of Hokage can't use ninjutsu? Defeat Madara? How will I ever defeat him now? Kurama, what do I do?" And for the first time, Naruto felt broken. As if he were worthless. As if he could amount to nothing. He knew losing something he cherished would be hard. He didn't think it would be _this_ hard.

"**...You forget why I believed in you in the first place. Maybe if you remember that, you'll actually take a step forward in stopping Madara instead of taking 10 steps back."**

He had done it again. For a second time in what he felt like a day, he realized he had give up hope again. He didn't become a ninja to throw cool jutsus here and there, nor did he become a ninja to become Hokage. That was what he had dreamed of before - before he had friends to protect.

That's right. He may have lost the ability to cast elemental ninjutsu, but shinobis were not defined by what jutsu they could perform; they were defined by what morals they believed in. Shinobi were more than just people who could throw kunai and cast justu. That was easy. They were the people who strived to protect the ones they loved and believed in, because that was difficult.

Deep down, he was still a ninja through and through. He'll tear down this obstacle just like every other one in his path until everyone he cherished could be saved. He had this second chance - this second chance to fix things. To right what has been wronged.

Believe it.

* * *

Hey, thanks for reading chapter 1 of In the Light of Tomorrow. I hope you've liked this chapter. This chapter was longer than the last, and you can expect chapters to be around this length or maybe even longer depending on how the plot unfolds. Tell me what you all think. Any criticism would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2: Butterfly Effect

In the Light of Tomorrow

Chapter 2: Butterfly Effect

Naruto strolled down the streets of Konoha, minding his own business as people bustled to get to where they needed to go. He had long grown accustomed to seeing so many people in the enormous city, and it was almost gratifying to see these people live their lives without so much as a thought of an impending demise. Civilian life must be quite different.

For the past two months, he had been living his life as a normal boy. Every day when he had just been dismissed from the academy, he would go to a secluded section of the Third Training Ground to work on his techniques. There, he would be less likely to be discovered.

Each team was given a specific training ground to use, and the third one was for Team 7 - Kakashi had obviously failed them with flying colors. And nobody ever ventured so far as to find a little boy working on skills he should never have known.

More importantly, however, was that Naruto felt at home in that training ground. From his position he could see the very stump he was tied to and fed on. That very place they officially became Team Seven. One of the most happiest moments of his life occurred right there. He was glad the place hadn't changed.

His mind stopped wandering as he wafted in the scent of a delicacy. He smiled as he realized where he was. In this district of Konoha, some of the best restaurants were built. He could've even sworn that Anko's favorite dango shop was located here. If you wanted good food, you'd come to this district.

Naruto opened a door and walked in, relishing in the delicious smell.

"Hey, Naruto-kun. We haven't seen you in a while." As Naruto walked in, the waitress smiled and led him to his seat at the front of the bar.

"It's good to be here, Ayame-nee. You and the old man make the best ramen in the world!" Naruto laughed, sitting down. He hollered, "Now give me ten bowls of miso ramen! Thanks Teuchi-san!"

His voice carried through the restaurant as other patrons turned and looked at the boy, only to go back to their food, shaking their head and chuckling. People had gotten used to the boy's hyperactive attitude and to them, it was mildly amusing. Watching Ichiraku Ramen's 'favorite customer' scarf down bowl after bowl of ramen was entertainment at its finest.

In fact, Naruto became somewhat of a spectacle that drew people to Ichiraku's Ramen.

"Ah, Naruto! So good to see you. You've only been coming once a week! What ever happened to our favorite customer?" Teuchi smiled as he began making Naruto's outrageous order.

"Hehe. I know. I can't come every day though. I'll get fat eating all your delicious cooking. I need to become one of the strongest ninja ever." Naruto said as he began his first bowl. It disappeared within minutes. "Keep 'em coming gramps. I'm starving."

Upon finishing the last of the ramen, his 10th bowl, Naruto lay there, full. He licked the remnants of the soup out and licked his chops clean.

"Ah, that was great." Ayame pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to him: the bill. "Okay, let me just get my wallet…"

Unfortunately, Gama-chan's insides were as empty as Orochimaru's heart, and the little green frog wallet weighed nothing in his hands. He was inexplicably out of money. He scratched his head nervously.

"Uh, I could've sworn I had some more money left in here… Listen, I'll pay you back. I promise." Naruto bowed down and pleaded. He was their favorite customer, but they didn't have any tabs or anything. In the restaurant business, there was no 'special treatment'. Naruto would be handled the same way they handle regular dine and dashers. With force.

Luckily, they didn't need to. Naruto heard the ruffling of bills and the clack coins made as they hit the surface of the wooden bar. Naruto looked up to see a pile of money in front of him. He saw 5, 6, 7 bills and enough coins to pay for his enormous lunch. Naruto looked at his benefactor, his eyes widened as he recognized the scar on the man's face.

"Iruka-sensei! Thank you so much!" Naruto ran up and gave the man a hug as his teacher patted the mop of blonde hair.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. Just make sure you have enough money next time, okay? You have a big appetite." Naruto laughed sheepishly. When was the last time he and Iruka had sat down and had lunch together at Ichiraku's Ramen? It had felt like forever. The man was like a father to him. He was the first one there to help him beat Mizuki. He was the one who helped him get over the death of Jiraiya. Iruka was always looking out for him.

"Iruka, come on. Your father is waiting!" A woman that Naruto had never seen before walked over and tugged on Iruka's shoulder. She looked at Naruto and smiled. "Sorry little boy, but my son here needs to get home. He'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

Naruto could do nothing but stare at the lady and lightly nod his head. Iruka said one last goodbye before leaving with the woman and meeting up with an older man outside of the restaurant.

'_Iruka's parents.'_

Iruka's parents had long died when Naruto still knew him. They died in the Kyuubi attack so long ago. Iruka grew up as an orphan, just like Naruto. That was how they were able to make those connections with each other. The long nights at Ichiraku where neither of them had anywhere to go, and they would sit in front of the bar, slowly slurping their noodles as they chatted for a long time. But now? Now was not the same.

Iruka never grew up as an orphan. He never experienced the things Naruto had felt, and while the boy/18-year-old had already gotten past his rough childhood, he still enjoyed the company of one of the only people that truly understood him. It was almost a sad to think that they would no longer share that connection. Iruka had parents now, and while his personality was the same, his experiences were not. There was no more possibility of sitting in Ichiraku's during those late night debacles.

Naruto wanted to feel happy. Iruka lived a proper childhood with loving parents. _This_ one did. _His_ Iruka had already long died in the war. But then again, that was why he came to the past, wasn't it? Give them the lives they deserved to live? He was glad someone had benefitted from his return, even if it was Kurama's actions that allowed this to happen. And who knows? Maybe this Iruka will be just as good of a friend as the old one.

OoOoO

'_Shit. Kurama, I'm dirt poor now.'_ Naruto lay on his bed, holding up Gama-chan in his hands. He had been using all of the money he had saved from the orphanage's monthly allowance. Before, he never had to worry about money. Money always came to him through his missions. And before that, he barely bought anything for himself, because nobody would let him into any of their stores. He lived on the money the Hokage gave him every month, as even the orphanage tended to scrape money off of his allowance.

Now it was different, and now he realized he had been using money as if it meant nothing.

'_Should I get a job? Maybe I could ask Teuchi-jii for a job.'_

"**What, with your skills? I'd think you'd break a few bowls before you even took your first order." **Naruto rolled his eyes at the fox's mockery.

'_No really. There's still a week before the next allowance comes. I can't just mooch off of Iruka, or the Hokage all day.'_

"**Well, you sure as hell can't starve to death. I'd rather die to Madara then have you and me die because you couldn't feed yourself."**

'_Okay, relax. I'm not going to starve. I just need to figure out what I'm good at. I used to get all my money doing missions.'_

"**So then why stop?"**

'_Because I'm not a genin right now? I still have two years before I graduate, and then I can start doing missions. Besides, I hate D-ranked missions. They're the worst.'_

"**You know, I'm pretty sure there are more things to do than pick flowers or chase a cat."**

'_Like what?'_

"**I don't know. Kill a guy here or there? You're an 18-year old grown ass man who beats the living crap out of everything that looks at you the wrong way."**

'_Grown man? Are you kidding? Look at me! I'm barely half the size of what I used to be! You expect a kid like this to kill a guy? What, are you nuts you stupid furball?'_

"**Yes. I'm stupid for trying to figure out a way to save both of our asses from starving to death. I hope you realize there's a lot of different ways to kill someone regardless of size."**

'_Yeah, but I can't use any ninjutsu at all. Or at least, it's way too hard.'_

"**I don't recall you having any trouble with the rasengan."**

'_Okay but that's different. The Rasenshuriken is a complete flop, though.'_

"**Right...because you were going to use an S-ranked technique to completely obliterate the guy. Good idea."**

'_Okay, stop being sarcastic. I get your point. Still, people are going to recognize the damage caused by the rasengan.'_

"**Not if you chop off his head afterwards."**

'_Now what kind of job involves chopping off a guy's head for money?'_

OoOoO

Naruto crept ever so slowly towards the camp as the fire pit was tinged red; remnants of the fire still present in the pile of ash. Under the cover of the night, and covered with his cloak, Naruto moved as a shadow in the darkness, slowly etching his way closer and closer to the tent.

This game was all about silence. If the man heard any sign of danger, he would run, and with his larger and longer legs, Naruto would never be able to catch up. No, Naruto needed the element of surprise to win.

He made his way forward, dodging branches and leaves as his movements were perfectly silent. He used to be the Number One Knuckleheaded Ninja who vandalized the Hokage's monument in broad daylight and snuck away from ANBUs and Chuunin level ninja with relative ease. This was childsplay.

He managed to get close enough to hear the breathing of the sleeping man inside. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the kill. He held out his palm and let the chakra build up before rotating it and containing it, gathering pressure in the palm of his hand. The Rasengan built up power as he focused it in his palm, the silence of the night being broken by the hum of spinning chakra.

He heard the man stir in the tent, and knew he had to act quickly before his target knew what was going on. Ripping open the tent, Naruto leaped forward and thrust the small blue ball straight into the man's gut as the force of his attack dug into flesh, grinding it and breaking bone and tissue.

The man cried out as Naruto continued to drive the attack in, and ended limp and dead. Naruto's surprise attack had worked, and while the Rasengan didn't do as much damage as he had liked, the perfect shot into the gut was enough to kill a regular person. And luckily for Naruto, his target was as regular as can be.

Naruto pulled a kunai out of his bag and began working on chopping the man's head off.

'_Ugh. I always hated this part. Never liked killing people anyways.'_

"**At least you know he's a bad guy."**

'_Yeah. I guess I could find some solace in knowing I just killed a criminal. I wonder how Dad did it. Going through and mowing down enemy ninjas who did nothing but follow the orders of their Kage? Must've been tough.'_

Finishing the cut, he placed the head into a bag and left the scene as quiet as he had entered. The rest of the body would be found within two days by a Konoha patrol. His head? Delivered elsewhere.

OoOoO

Naruto entered the room, his cloak over his head and a henge around him. Everyone there was a seasoned ninja, and they all knew the person entering was under a disguise, but nobody said or did anything. They were all under disguises. That was how you conducted business in the bounty hunting world. Nobody knows your face, and you know nobody else's. You go in, get the cash, and walk out. Sometimes you'd stay at the bar and order a drink or two, but after that, you're gone. Nothing else to it.

Or at least that was how it worked in the bounty hunting agencies. Their bounties were for D to B ranked criminals or nukenin. Any shinobi that was anything higher than that would be under the jurisdiction of Zangei, one of the exchange masters. The 'Big Fish' as they would call it, were only sought after by the truly powerful individuals.

But cashing in was all the same. You needed one thing: a head. Once you've proved that the person is dead, their bounty was yours. No strings attached.

Naruto walked in and strolled up to the bar. The secret was to never show fear or weakness. There were people willing to try and 'steal' a bounty.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out the bag and threw it onto the counter. The man looked at Naruto's disguised face and opened up the bag, pulling the head out. He looked at it before going to the back of the building, no doubt to check and verify who this person was. It only took him a few minutes before he came back. This time, a roll full of bills in his hand.

Nobu Souza was a C-ranked missing nin who had achieved the rank of low Chuunin almost a year ago. During one of his missions, he killed one of his fellow comrades during a heated argument that had resulted in a fist fight. The other person didn't know Nobu had a kunai in his hand. After, Nobu ran from the ANBU, keeping himself hidden and doing odd jobs as a 'hitman for hire.'

But then again, who would want to hire such a pathetic hitman? Without any income, Nobu resorted to theft and mugging to acquire currency. When he attacked one of the wealthier estate owners in Hi no Kuni, he was put on the Bingo Book as a C-level bounty worth 30,000 ryo.

While it may not have been an incredible amount, it was an adequate income for Naruto, and he opted to try and collect more bounties. He didn't plan to go for any of the 'Big Fish.' Those were worth millions upon millions, but there was a reason for that. In his current state, Naruto was far too weak to be facing against S-level shinobi, so he decided to stick with something he could actually handle. At least, for now.

Speaking of S-ranked shinobi, the door to the agency opened as a cloaked man walked in. As his legs took the first few steps into the building, the atmosphere became tense and the moderate chatter slowly died to a still silence. The only thing anyone could hear was the tap as the man's boots struck the floor. As he made his way to the counter, the silence lifted with the soft hum and buzz of chatter once again restarting in the agency; Naruto was able to get a look at the man's face.

Or maybe not his face. Naruto could only turn his head towards the man before his fake brown eyes locked onto the man's thick murky green. The rest of his face was wrapped in bandages with a black mask to cover his mouth. It was him.

'_This guy. Kurama, wasn't he a member of Akatsuki?'_

"**Kakazu. That was his name. He and the other guy kicked your asses."**

''_Till I blew him up with a Rasenshuriken.'_

"**Which you don't have anymore."**

'_Well what do you know. That's highly inconvenient.'_

"**Perhaps. And what, do tell, do you plan on doing?"**

'_Heh. From what I remember, he's a greedy bastard. Everyone has a price. His is just ridiculously high.'_

"Zangei." He only said one word before the man behind the counter let him through the back of the agency where Zangei handled the larger bounties. Kakazu disappeared behind as Naruto picked the right moves to make.

"Hey, let me see your bingo book for a sec, will ya?" He asked the bartender who reached into his back pocket and pulled one out. "Thanks."

Naruto flipped through the pages, looking for the person of interest. Aha. He reached the names alphabetically and searched for that person. As he reached the page he was looking for, Kakazu walked out of back room, a case in hand. Undoubtedly full of money. As Kakazu made to exit the agency, Naruto held up his hand, blocking Kakazu's way.

"I'll kill you right now if you don't move." Kakazu's threats were not to be taken lightly. The man would and could kill the instant his temper flared, and with what Naruto remembered, that happened frequently. Perhaps it was a good idea for Nagato to pair Kakazu and Hidan together. Now that he thought about it, the duo were perfect.

"Kill me, and you won't get this." Naruto threw the bingo book on the wooden counter as Kakazu looked at the open pages. "60 million. Split it 80-20. I get the 20."

Kakazu raised an eyebrow. He knew not of a single idiot who would purposely split money and take the smaller side. Or then again, perhaps the other man was not an idiot and was paying tribute to Kakazu's strength. Regardless of which, Kakazu smiled inside, relishing in the idea of more money. But he stopped as he looked at the target, and realized this money might not be so real after all.

"Orochimaru? Nobody knows where he is. Worthless bounty. Now piss off." Kakazu made to brush past Naruto, but the blonde-in-disguise kept his hand steady, not letting Kakazu through. Naruto could feel the man's anger rising as he built up chakra. Before he could unleash it and slaughter anyone - maybe even Naruto, said boy spoke up.

"But I do." Now the chatter stopped once more as every person in the building stared at Naruto and Kakazu. The boy had just claimed that he knew where one of the most powerful missing nin was. He knew where 60 million ryos were located, and that amount of money was a prize to everyone. Each and every bounty hunter in the room thirsted for such a large catch, but most were blinded by greed. Only a few scoffed and looked away, returning back to their drinks; they knew Orochimaru was out of their league. He was out of everyone's league. Maybe even Kakazu's.

But that didn't mean the former Taki-nin didn't want to try. Kakazu's green eyes lit up at the declaration of the man in front of him. Perhaps the man was lying. What then? Kakazu supposed he would just kill the man then and there. But what if he wasn't lying? What if he actually knew where Orochimaru was. Reaping such a reward would be most beneficial. He supposed he might as well take the risk and try.

Kakazu nodded and Naruto, smiling, took a piece of paper and ink and scribbled something down on the paper. He folded it and placed it in pocket of Kakazu's cloak before turning around. Naruto left the building with all eyes on him, and his eyes on only the prize.

OoOoO

Naruto waited, perched on top of the high trees of Konoha's forests, staring down and waiting for the cloaked man to arrive. On the paper, Naruto specified only a location - this one - and a time: two weeks since he wrote down the paper. He had timed it perfectly. The Academy was on a week-long break, giving Naruto the opportunity to sneak out of Konoha relatively undetected. He only hoped his Kage Bunshin would last long enough for him to return.

Before the man came, Naruto sensed his wicked chakra from far away. It was strange, morphed, and grotesque. Naruto remembered fighting the Taki ninja, and his multiple masks and hearts. Each individual's chakra melding into one sinister and corrupt core. Kakazu's immortality was truly at the expense of others.

Regardless, Kakazu's inherent greed would prove most useful. The man might be a member of Akatsuki, but only because of the organization's incredible potential for wealth. Like he said, everyone has a price. And Kakazu's would come from Orochimaru's bounty.

Almost instantly after Naruto noticed his presence, Kakazu emerged, staring up at Naruto from the forest undergrowth. The Taki nin nodded and Naruto jumped down.

"Where's Orochimaru?"

"You'll have to wait." Naruto didn't even flinch as Kakazu's body erupted in needles. They embedded themselves in the tree trunk, barely missing Naruto by mere millimeters. Still, the disguised blonde kept the smirk on his face. "Kill me, and you lose your lead."

He knew he had immunity. Nobody had ever heard of Orochimaru's whereabouts since his defection from Konoha, and an opportunity as golden as this could not be missed. Even if it was a false lead.

"Then hurry up and lead." Naruto leaped onto a branch and made his way through the forests, Kakazu close behind. Unfortunately, they were moving a tad bit too slow for Kakazu's taste. "Faster."

"Calm down. Impatience won't help us catch Orochimaru." Naruto could feel Kakazu's anger spike again as black tendrils snapped a few branches overhead. At least Kakazu was taking all of it out on the surroundings, instead of him. Funny enough, Naruto knew he was taking an incredible risk by doing this. He was banking too heavily on Kakazu's greed. The instant the man thought Naruto was useless, he would kill him. No questions or doubts about it.

And for Naruto, their current pace wasn't helping the ill-tempered nin. Naruto's young body could only go so fast, and despite the intense training he had been going through since his arrival, his speed was nowhere near as fast as an S-ranked missing nin. It just wasn't possible.

So Naruto moved as quickly as he could through the forests of Konoha and Hi no Kuni, all the while hoping that Kakazu's thinning patience could and would last just a little bit longer.

OoOoO

"We're here." Naruto dropped onto the ground, breathing slightly heavily. They had been moving at breakneck pace - or at least by Naruto's standards - for the past 16 hours, and even with Kurama's incredible stamina and recovery, Naruto was still winded. It was as if he had kept sprinting for 16 hours. Kakazu, on the other hand, was completely fine. If anything, the man was irritated they did not arrive sooner.

Naruto took one last deep breath and allowed his body to relax. Any sign of weakness in front of Kakazu would mean a swift death.

"No-man's land? What is this bullshit?" Kakazu turned towards Naruto, his murky green eyes narrowing as he stared at the brunette-disguised-blonde in front of him.

"No. In there." Naruto pointed at a large boulder in the mountainside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary - it was a simple large stone that probably rolled off of the mountain long ago. Moss and everything was growing on it. "He's behind the boulder."

Without a second word, Kakazu leaped in front of the boulder as he threw off his cloak, revealing the masks hidden underneath. His lightning mask glowed as the eyes flared, the white porcelain glowing blue from the chakra. The mask then opened its mouth and let out a spear of electricity.

"Raiton: Gian!" The lightning jutsu rammed straight into the rock, creating an enormous explosion. Something came out of the dust, slicing Kakazu's arm clean off. The Taki nin only looked at his severed arm before willing the tendrils to reconnect the appendage back to where it belong. "Already using Kusanagi, I see."

"...How did you find me?" Orochimaru stood in the hole where the boulder used to be, a tunnel leading into the mountainside.

"You're a traitor. And you reek of money. It wasn't very hard. Raiton: Gian!" Another blast of lightning shot straight towards Orochimaru. The Sannin dodged, running up to Kakazu with Kusanagi in mid swing.

"You're a major setback, Kakazu. Allow me to put you in your place." Orochimaru swung the blade left and right as Kakazu dodged the Sannin's attacks. The only thing the Taki nin tried to do was keep the blade away from his hearts. Orochimaru knew where they were, and he aimed for them every time he sliced but Kakazu continued to protect them. Every slash and swing, Orochimaru would cut through Kakazu's body or arm, only for the black tendrils to reconnect everything by the time his swing had ended. He couldn't hit a heart. Kakazu was too skilled to let him do something as simple as that.

"Fuuton: Atsugai!" Another mask glowed, this time, shooting a blast of wind right into Orochimaru, causing the Sannin to fly backwards. Any damage Orochimaru took was healed almost immediately. Yet this time, Kakazu was on the offensive as the Taki nin dashed forward, striking in various directions with his tendrils. Despite the overwhelming barrage of attacks, Orochimaru continued to heal and regenerate with every bit of damage he took.

Orochimaru dashed to the side, biting his finger and throwing his hand onto the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" The battlefield was filled with smoke as a giant snake materialized into existence. It wasn't Manda, as the Boss summon could not be satiated in his current predicament, but Orochimaru chose the next best thing. This snake would be more than large enough to swallow Kakazu whole. Which is exactly what it did.

Orochimaru took the brief respite to regain some energy, but not for long. He could hear Kakazu mutter something through the stomach of the snake, before the summon bursted into flames. Its charring skin flaking and dropping as Kakazu burst forth from the insides of the snake.

"Katon: Zukkoku. Die, fool!" The Taki nin continued his onslaught, hitting left, then right, then both as the black tendrils whipped around in every direction. Yet Orochimaru lived up to his name as a snake. He slipped through the attacks, using minimal movements to narrowly dodge all the while swinging with Kusanagi. Neither side seemed to be able to overcome the other.

"You, bounty hunter, need to stop getting in my way!" Orochimaru disengaged, backstepping only to have Kakazu leap forward and stick to the Sannin.

"Raiton: Gian!" The bolt of lightning struck Orochimaru, only for his body to turn into mud. "Mud clone. How long do you plan on running, Orochimaru?"

As he spoke, hundreds if not thousands of snakes started slithering from all around the forest, and into the field. They quickly slithered forward before leaping at Kakazu, their fangs glistening with poison in the sun. Kakazu didn't even have to look before he impaled the snakes as they attempted to reach him. More and more began emerging, until Kakazu was unable to kill them all with his tendrils alone.

"I tire of this shit. Fuuton: Atsugai! Katon: Zukkoku!" Both his wind and fire masks flared with chakra as they released their respective attacks. A blast of fire emerged just as the burst of wind whipped across the field, engulfing all of the snakes and the surrounding area in a torrent of flame. Trees burnt to a crisp and the grass was singed black as Kakazu's combination attack swept through the field.

As the flames died, clearing trees and vegetation, Kakazu could see what looked like a large metal gate, glowing slightly red from the intense heat of his attack. Moments later, the gate crumbled and disappeared, leaving an unscathed Orochimaru in the middle. The Sannin only scowled before turning around, sprinting away from the clearing.

"Come back here, you filthy snake! Allow me to skin you and reap my reward!" Orochimaru disappeared into the forest with Kakazu in hot pursuit.

OoOoO

"**You let him go."**

"Yeah, well I doubted Kakazu could kill Orochimaru. The snake's way too slippery to be caught like that." Naruto sat in on his bed, sifting through his backpack to make sure he had all of his papers and books ready for the next day. The week-long break was almost over and lessons would begin the next morning. "I'm just happy I got as much progress done as I did."

"**And was it a lot?"**

"Hell yeah it was! Orochimaru's base in Sound got completely screwed over by Kakazu's intrusion. I doubt he'll be able to muster anything too significant against Konoha now." Naruto's eyes scanned his room, looking for something. "Now where's that homework I told the clone to finish… aha! Here it is."

Naruto picked a piece of paper off of his stand and placed it into a folder. He knew he wouldn't ever hand this paper in, lest his grade increase. No, he merely completed his homework for the sake of learning something in the class: something he had missed out on during his childhood - the first one. The reason he remained the deadlast was because of Kurama's insight. In order to be paired up with Sasuke - the upcoming Rookie of the Year - again, he would need to be at the very bottom of the graduating pool. Luckily, it wasn't that hard to stay under.

"**What if you meet Kakazu again?"**

"Eh, I had a disguise on. There's no need to worry about him recognizing me. If anything, he wouldn't expect a little kid to be the one who led him to Orochimaru. There's just no possible way that could be true."

"**Then will you continue collecting bounties?"** Naruto, satisfied at his work - or his clone's work rather - he zipped his bag up and tossed it to the side before climbing into bed and turning off the light.

"We made 30 grand last night. Sure, it's not a huge amount of cash, but it'll do. I'll go back into business if we're scrimping for money again like last week. But wow. What a catch, yeah? To think that we just stopped gramps from dying to Orochimaru. What a day it's been. I think we're already on a roll, Kurama. Don't you think?"

"**I think we're not in the clear as of yet. Especially since your little stunt tonight. Are you trying to get caught?"**

"Hey, it was my only option. How else am I supposed to get them to clear out the labs?"

"**Just don't lose sight of the 'bigger picture.' Delaying Orochimaru won't stop Madara."**

"I get it, but still. Even rectifying some of these little mistakes makes a difference. And there are a lot of little mistakes to fix. They'll build up. You'll see."

"**Then I'll just pray that these 'little mistakes' you patch up do not lead to even greater ones."**

But that notion didn't even cross Naruto's mind as the boy drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

OoOoO

"Hokage-sama. A message from Kumo has arrived." An ANBU member bowed before handing Hiruzen a slip of paper. "It is written by the Raikage himself."

"The Raikage? Hm. All right. Let's see." Hiruzen took the paper from his shinobi's hands, quickly opening it with a single swift swipe of a kunai. The cut was clean and the message slipped out of the envelope with ease. "At ease."

The ANBU waited as the Hokage turned around in his office so that his back faced his desk. He unfolded the message and began reading.

_Dear Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of Konohagakure,_

_ It has come to my attention that your forces have been seen on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, and have been within the vicinity of the Land of Lightning. I sincerely hope you do not mean to claim more land for your own. While Konoha remains the capital of the Shinobi world, do not think that Kumo will fall behind into your shadow. If it is deemed necessary, we will take precautions to ensure that our lands are kept safe. I have yet to disclose your actions to the other Kage, and I shall not do so as long as you agree to withdraw your forces from the southern border of our territory. Be warned, however. If you do not comply, I must relay to the other Kage your barbarism and aggression._

_ Signed The Fourth Raikage,_

_ A_

"Hm. It seems as though Kumo has been keeping their eyes on us. No matter. What is the report on the anonymous tip? Did you find out who it was?"

"No sir. We are unaware of anybody with this knowledge."

"Hm. Strange. Tell everyone to be on high alert. There may be some incredibly powerful presence nearby. And luckily, it seems as if he or she is on our side."

"Yes sir."

"Now report. What did you find there?" The anonymous tip was simply a map with a single red dot in the middle of nowhere: a region slightly above the the borders of the Land of Fire. There was no writing or anything to indicate who it might have been from, but the secretary had found it randomly on her desk after a brief lunch break. If anything, whoever snuck the map in was a master of stealth. Perhaps a powerful shinobi? Hiruzen had sent one of his best teams to search out what exactly was in that area.

"Uh, sir. You won't believe this, but we believe it to be one of Orochimaru's labs."

"Orochimaru? How do you know?"

"Pure speculation sir, but many details point to it. We have determined that it is indeed a research lab dedicated to human experiments. There were few that were still alive, yet so far traumatized we were forced to euthanize them. Their bodies have already been disposed of. There are different depictions of snakes around the lab, which point us towards the direction of Orochimaru."

"And he's not there? No engagements at all?"

"None sir. However, when we arrived, the clearing was completely destroyed. The charred black remains indicate some high-level wide ranged fire jutsu. It was likely that somebody engaged Orochimaru, and forced him to leave his lab. Unfortunately, there are no documents or data that we can work with. Everything has been either wiped clean, or taken during Orochimaru's escape."

"Very well. This is good news. That man has been in hiding so long, nobody knew what he was planning. Now that we have seen him, at least we know that he is still out there trying to achieve his twisted dream. Good. Now is there anything else?"

"If I may ask, sir. What is the plan on Kumo's letter?" Hiruzen looked at the letter and chuckled before opening up a drawer to toss the letter inside.

"Just idle threats. Kumo is nowhere near strong enough to face us, especially since their run in with the Hachibi. Luckily for us, we were spared the attack by the Kyuubi. Suna has been under turmoil from their attack by Shukaku. Mizu is wracked with civil war. and Iwa has been severely weakened since our last war. We currently stand at the very top of the Shinobi world, and there is no reason for us to back down, especially when terrors such as Orochimaru still wander near our lands. I shall write a letter of apology to the Raikage, but our forces shall remain where they are. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

OoOoO

Naruto walked into the library. While it was relatively silent, there was the constant ambient noises of flipping pages and closing covers. Ever since he was a child, he had always wanted to read the books in the libraries. He never could. But now? Now he had the opportunity to learn and grow once more.

He walked in, and for a split instant, he still imagined the old librarian lady kicking him out because he was 'detrimental to the youth.' But when he stepped onto the green carpet, nobody even turned their heads.

'_It's already been two months and I still haven't gotten used to this yet.' _He walked past the librarian, and went to the shelves. There were aisles and aisles of books, and scrolls, from fiction to ninja guides to basic technique scrolls. He knew what he was aiming for, and waltzed straight into the ninja section.

'_No. No. No. Eh, maybe later. No. Aha!'_ He went through the books one by one until he found the one he wanted, pulling the worn spine. The book was a little dusty, and relatively worn out. Its cover was faded, and the fringes of its pages were tinted yellow. Old, but legible. _'A Beginners Book on Seals. I think this'll do.'_

"**And why do you suddenly have the urge to learn about sealing?"** Kurama grumbled in his cage. Naruto knew the fox didn't like the seal. While the two of them worked together and Kurama was given relative freedom, the seal was still relatively fresh which bound the fox's considerable power. He needed to get that key.

'_Hey. After watching Kakazu and Orochimaru throw down, it made me even more sad that I lost my ninjutsu prowess.' _As he spoke, Naruto could hear the snickers from the fox ringing in his head. _'Hey, what's the big deal?'_

"**Ninjutsu prowess. Hah. You're hilarious. Haha."** Naruto had to roll his eyes at the fox's antics.

'_I'm being serious here. I can still feel it. Sorta. It's so far and distant, I don't think I'll be able to use any elemental manipulation.'_

"**And you think seals are going to solve your problem?"**

'_Well, maybe not solve it. But I need a different weapon. The Hiraishin.'_

"**Your old man's technique? You know, I think you can do it. I truly believe in you. I really do."**

'_Hey watch the sarcasm man. I can do it. Watch me. The reason nobody could replicate it before was because nobody knew what it really was. It's a space-time ninjutsu. Using a seal, he opens up a rift to the...other world. Then back. Instant. It's not speed. It's just movement. Knowing that, all I need to do is figure out how to make a seal open up the space-time continuum.'_

"**Oh. That's easy. Opening up the space-time continuum is easier than baking a pie."**

'_It is! … Ah, who am I kidding. I know how it works. I just don't know how to make it. Do you think I can do it?'_

"**You got the rasengan down in a week, even though you cheated a little."** Naruto looked around him, hoping that nobody was around. Seeing nothing, he crouched on the ground and focused his chakra into his palm. With his smaller reserves - still enormous - Naruto gathered chakra in one hand and began to spin it. It started off slow, but began picking up speed as he continued to will the chakra to spin and whirl within the palm of his hand.

'_Ugh. It takes too long. Ero-sennin could do it in a second. Dad could do it in an instant. This took me like, a whole minute.'_ He stopped containing the chakra, and let it dissipate into the air. _'Man when it comes to me, I've got a lot of work to do… Changing an event or two isn't going to stop Madara. I am. And I'm so far behind.'_

He sat down and flipped open to the first page before sighing.

'_Better get started.'_

OoOoO

I apologize for not updating recently. I've been trying to balance a lot of things. Hopefully, I can be on top of things next time around. Please leave a review and comment on what you liked or disliked. Any criticism is much appreciated. As to answer a few questions...

I do not believe Naruto will be like another Lee. While Lee is a complete badass, he literally can't use chakra period. My Naruto, however, is able to use chakra in its most purest form. No manipulations, so no fire or wind, but the Rasengan and anything else that I might come up with is perfectly viable.

Also, as for the Hiraishin. Naruto never knew it in canon, so he can't bring it over to this world. I do, however, believe that the Hiraishin would be a great asset to his current fighting-style, and have opted to have him try and learn it for himself. It won't be easy, and I can't guarantee he'll actually learn it. I only promise that I will make him try.

Thanks for reading!


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